History of Civil Engineering:

1.1 CIVIL ENGINEERING as a Discipline

Civil engineering is the oldest branch of engineering. Not only do civil engineers design systems that
interact with one another, but they are also concerned with the environment’s well-being. The term
“civil” was added to separate these licensed professionals from other engineers who worked on
military, electrical, or mechanical projects.
Civil Engineering has been an aspect of life since the beginnings of human existence. The earliest
practices of Civil engineering may have commenced between 4000 and 2000 BC in Ancient Egypt and
Mesopotamia (Ancient Iraq) when humans started to abandon a nomadic existence, thus causing a
need for the construction of shelter. During this time, transportation became increasingly important
leading to the development of the wheel and sailing.
1.2 Ancient Roots of Civil Engineering
In ancient times, architects and builders were one and the same. Engineering was a huge part of the
architect’s or builder’s role, especially with large construction projects.
The earliest practices of Civil engineering may have commenced between 4000 and 2000 BC in
Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia (Ancient Iraq) when humans started to abandon a nomadic
existence,
thus causing a need for the construction of shelter. During this time, transportation became
increasingly important leading to the development of the wheel and sailing.
This led to the development of construction, as trial and error distinguished good design from less
effective approaches. Mesopotamia contained some of the most skilled
engineers in the ancient world, as did Ancient Egypt.
The history of civil engineering and architectural projects is regional in nature. A major reason for
differences in the development of construction techniques is the availability of local materials.
Although it is possible to import materials from great distances, the historic reality is that people
often used what was easily available to them when constructing buildings. This influenced
architectural style and the selection of structural elements. Of course climate also has an effect on the
design and construction of buildings. For example, sun dried bricks can support loads in a dry climate
but will disintegrate in wet climates.
Until modern times there was no clear distinction between civil engineering and architecture, and
the term engineer and architect were mainly geographical variations referring to the same person,
often used interchangeably. The construction of Pyramids in Egypt (circa 2700-2500 BC) might be
considered the first instances of large structure constructions.

Around 2550 BC, Imhotep, the first documented engineer, built a famous stepped pyramid for King
Djoser located at Saqqara Necropolis. With simple tools and mathematics he created a monument
that stands to this day. His greatest contribution to engineering was his discovery of the art of
building with shaped stones. Those who followed him carried engineering to remarkable heights using
skill and imagination.
1.3 Ancient Structures of the World
All of the ancient structures offer a strong statement on the quality of engineering knowledge long
before we developed computers and used advanced software. All of these structures constructed leads
the way to the development of construction and civil engineering.
The Qanat water management system (the oldest older than 3000 years and longer than 71 km,)
appears in several cultures and remains functional. (Fig. 2)

fig.2
Pyramids in Egypt were built as monuments to house the tombs of the pharaohs. (Fig. 3)

The Parthenon by Iktinos in Ancient Greece (447-438BC) was built to house a statue of Athena, Greek
goddess of war. The Parthenon is an example of post-and-lintel construction. (Fig. 4)
The Pantheon is an example of an arch and dome system. It is the oldest standing domed structure in
Rome. (Fig. 5)

Colosseum- Originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, this arch and dome system is the largest
ever built in the Roman Empire. (Fig. 6)

The Great Wall of China by General Meng T’ien under orders from Ch’in Emperor Shih Huang Ti (c.
220 BC) is one of the most ambitious construction projects the world has ever seen. It spans 4500
miles. Construction spanned from the 5th century BC to the 16th century. The wall as seen today was
mostly constructed during the Ming Dynasty of stone and bricks. (Fig. 7)
The Roman aqueducts were built from 300 BC to 200 AD. Ancient roadways were used by the
Persians and Romans for strategic and commercial purposes. Greeks needed to have roads available
in the event of a religious exodus. Greek highways consisted of two wheel ruts of about 4 ft 11 in.
Roman engineers built the Appian Way (c. 312 BC) (see fig. 8).

Roman roads were created by using large blocks of stone (called the stratumen) for the base, over
which broken stone or debris (called rudus) was spread and covered by a layer of sand (referred to as
the nucleus) and finally by large polygonal basalt blocks (summum dorsum), with the polished top
surfaces serving as the road surface. The stones were set in lime mortar. In marshy regions the
Romans used wooden causeways resting on pile foundations. Romans were generally believed to be
masters of road engineering. At the height of their power, they had constructed 50,000 miles of paved
roads. No comparable road system existed outside the Roman Empire.
The earliest known Roman bridge, the Pons Sublicius in Rome, was made of wood and was
constructed using columns and beams. The pile foundation was created by following specific steps:
excavate, clear, and then drive previously charred alder, olive, or oak piles into the ground as close to
each other as possible. The spaces were filled with ashes. This an example of a timber bridge. (see fig.
9)

Most ancient Roman bridges used the arch as the basic structure and were typically made of stone and
concrete.
The Romans developed civil structures throughout their empire, including especially aqueducts,
insulae, harbours, bridges, dams and roads.
Other remarkable historical structures are Sennacherib's Aqueduct at Jerwan built in 691 BC; Li
Ping's irrigation projects in China (around 220 BC); Julius Caesar's Bridge over the Rhine River built
in 55 BC, numerous bridges built by other Romans in and around Rome(e.g. the pons Fabricius); Pont
du Gard (Roman Aqueduct, Nimes, France) built in 19 BC; the extensive system of highways the
Romans built to facilitate trading and (more importantly) fast manoeuvring of legions; extensive
irrigation system constructed by the Hohokam Indians, Salt River, AZ around 600 AD; first dykes
defending against high water in Friesland, The Netherlands around 1000 AD; El Camino Real - The
Royal Road, Eastern Branch, TX and Western Branch, NM (1500s AD).
Machu Picchu, Peru, built at around 1450, at the height of the Inca Empire is considered an
engineering marvel. It was built in the Andes Mountains assisted by some of history’s most ingenious
water resource engineers. The people of Machu Picchu built a mountain top city with running water,
drainage systems, food production and stone structures so advanced that they endured for over
500years.

After the Fall of Rome. Although some jobs were mechanized, there was little change in building
materials or methods of construction from those of the Romans until the middle of the 18th century.
The same simple cranes, pulley systems, wedges, and inclined planes were still commonly used to
move heavy objects. The hammer, plane, and chisel were still the tools of choice of the carpenter.
However, in the middle of the 18th century, iron became cheaper and more readily available. The first
iron bridge was built over the Servern in 1779. A new blast furnace nearby lowered the cost and
encouraged local engineers and architects to use iron to cross the river. The use of iron allowed longer
spans and lighter structures.
Iron Era. The Eiffel tower, as one of the last iron structures, marked the end of the iron era. (see fig.
10)

Structural Steel. In the 1890s steel replaced iron as the material of choice for large construction
projects. Although it contains iron, steel also contains carbon which makes the metal harder and
tougher. In addition, steel is less susceptible to corrosion. Steel frames were designed to carry the
building loads so that massive load bearing walls were no longer necessary. The heights of buildings
grew. Perhaps the best known structural steel framed building is the Empire State Building,
completed in 1931. (See Fig. 11)
Concrete. The concrete mixture used by the Romans was very weak in tension and bending.
Reinforced Concrete. Experiments with improving the tensile strength of concrete by embedding
metal rods into the mixture began in the mid-1800s. Eventually engineers learned how to efficiently
take advantage of the combined strength of concrete in compression and steel in tension. Since that
time, reinforced concrete has been used for a variety of construction projects. The flexibility of
concrete allowed the use of free flowing curves and a break from the rectilinear designs of structural
steel.
Engineers quickly understood that reinforced concrete could be used in the design and construction of
bridges.
The first reinforced concrete bridge was built in France in 1907.

A treatise on Architecture, Book called Vitruvius' De Archiectura, was published at 1AD in Rome and
survived to give us a look at engineering education in ancient times. It was probably written around 15
BC by the Roman architect Vitruvius and dedicated to his patron, the emperor Caesar Augustus, as a
guide for building projects.
Throughout ancient and medieval history most architectural design and construction was carried out
by artisans, such as stonemasons and carpenters, rising to the role of master builder. Knowledge was
retained in guilds and seldom supplanted by advances. Structures, roads and infrastructure that
existed were repetitive, and increases in scale were incremental.
One of the earliest examples of a scientific approach to physical and mathematical problems
applicable to civil engineering is the work of Archimedes in the 3rd century BC, including Archimedes
Principle, which underpins our understanding of buoyancy, and practical solutions such as
Archimedes’ screw. Brahmagupta, an Indian mathematician, used arithmetic in the 7th century AD,
based on Hindu-Arabic numerals, for excavation (volume) computations.

Educational & Institutional history of civil engineering

In the 18th century, the term civil engineering was coined to incorporate all things civilian as opposed
to military engineering. The first engineering school, The National School of Bridges and Highways,
France, was opened in 1747. The first self-proclaimed civil engineer was John Smeaton who
constructed the Eddystone Lighthouse. In 1771, Smeaton and some of his colleagues formed the
Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers, a group of leaders of the profession who met informally over
dinner. Though there was evidence of some technical meetings, it was little more than a social society.

In 1818, world’s first engineering society, the Institution of Civil Engineers was founded in London,
and in 1820 the eminent engineer Thomas Telford became its first president. The institution received
a Royal Charter in 1828, formally recognizing civil engineering as a profession. Its charter defined
civil engineering as: “Civil engineering is the application of physical and scientific principles, and its
history is intricately linked to advances in understanding of physics and mathematics throughout
history. Because civil engineering is a wide ranging profession, including several separate
specialized sub-disciplines, its history is linked to knowledge of structures, material science,
geography, geology, soil, hydrology, environment, mechanics and other fields.”
The first private college to teach Civil Engineering in the United States was Norwich University
founded in 1819 by Captain Alden Partridge. The first degree in Civil Engineering in the United States
was awarded by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1835. The first such degree to be awarded to a
woman was granted by Cornell University to Nora Stanton Blatch in 1905.
1.5 Modern Approach in Civil Engineering
Today, civil engineering addresses complex design with advanced technology. CAD and CAM help with
design, creation and testing of structure simulations. It works well whether a civil engineer is addressing flood
plain management, designing a bridge or planning roadways. This software leads to effective products and
cost savings. Examples of structural software widely used are, StaadPro, Etabs, Sap2000, and Midas. It is
difficult to find an area where civil engineering has not been involved. If you work in a new building, cross a
bridge or move into a new subdivision, there was likely a civil engineer involved in the original plans.

THE HISTORY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING (AND ITS PROFESSION) IN THE PHILIPPINES